Photo By Sgt. Cheryl Madolev | U.S. Soldiers assigned to Area Support Group Balkans and Regional Command-East of the...... read more read more
Subscribe
MITROVICA, Kosovo – Kosovo Force, or KFOR, consists of 32 contributing NATO and partner nations. KFOR’s ongoing mission supports the people of Kosovo in many ways, including ensuring safety, security and collaborating with local agencies and non-governmental organizations to fulfill the needs of local communities.
One of KFOR’s initial tasks over two decades ago was to support the establishment of law and order and a judicial and penal system within Kosovo.
Every KFOR Regional Command East rotation has U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, or JAG, representatives assigned to the command. These JAG officers support the KFOR mission in a multitude of ways, including taking care of Soldier’s legal needs and helping to support the development of positive legal systems within Kosovo.
U.S. Army Operational Law Judge Advocate, OF-2 Laura Eckstein, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, recently visited the campus of The Public International Business College-Mitrovica, or IBCM, April 8, 2025. She visited the school to give a lecture, and was accompanied by U.S. Army OF-2 Gurney Pearsall, a JAG officer assigned to Area Support Group Balkans, or ASG Balkans. The lecture is an example of Eckstein's ongoing commitment to engaging with the community.
“I participate in regular Expert-Level Engagements with district prosecutors, local attorney support groups, and university professors,” said Eckstein. “The goal of the IBCM lecture was to reinforce the vital nature of the relationship between the U.S. military and Kosovo, and to discuss how the U.S military supports international diplomacy, stability, and cooperation in the region.”
The lecture provided students an overview of the components of the U.S. Army, as well as personal and professional facts about Eckstein and Pearsall. Eckstein explained the process of direct commissioning into the U.S. Army and spoke of the requirements to become a part of the JAG Corps.
However, the presentation’s main focus was about JAG’s role in international security. She discussed topics including war crime trials, leadership in international law, fiscal law and advising military commanders.
Eckstein’s portion of the brief touched on Kosovo-specific history and law, including the Military Technical Agreement with Yugoslavia/Serbia and the demilitarization and transformation of the Kosovo Liberation Army, also known as UCK.
Following Eckstein’s portion of the lecture, Pearsall explained to the students his role with ASG Balkans and gave an overview of his military service.
“Our lecture gave us a chance to introduce Kosovo’s next generation of business leaders to the work the U.S. Army does in Kosovo and our role in that mission as judge advocates,” said Pearsall. “My favorite part of the day was answering the students' questions. Interacting with them was incredibly rewarding, as it created a fun dialogue and let us talk to them one-on-one.”
Once the presentation portion of the lecture was complete, the students and faculty asked the two JAG officers multiple follow-on questions about their career and duties. Afterwards, everyone involved proceeded to take individual and group photos together. Dea Gaxha, Head of the Division for Communication and Public Relations at IBCM, said the best part of the day was the students’ interaction with the Eckstein and Pearsall.
“They didn’t just deliver a lecture, they connected with our students,” said Gaxha. “The lecture offered a unique opportunity for our students to learn directly from experienced legal professionals serving in an international military context. It bridged academic learning with real-world application, especially in the fields of law and diplomacy.”
Eckstein continuously expresses her passion for the JAG mission and her adoration for Kosovo and its communities.
“My experiences here have allowed me to gain a perspective on why we are here that I could never have received any other way,” said Eckstein. “I truly love the people of Kosovo, and I am inspired by the upcoming generation. Kosovo's future is in good hands.”
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2025 07:42 |
| Story ID: | 498294 |
| Location: | MITROVICA, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 203 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From the field to the classroom: KFOR JAG inspires the next generation of Kosovo, by SGT Cheryl Madolev, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
